Lawson's Injured, but Criticism Not Needed Yet

The injuries are beginning to hit the Bills, as it seems they do every year. Buffalo Bills 1st round pick, Shaq Lawson, underwent successful surgery this morning on his right shoulder. Now, Lawson must play the game of "Wait and Recover," as it has been suggested that he may be on the self for 4-6 months. For a rookie, losing this much amount of time to learn the system and get familiar with the franchise is crucial to a players young career. With that said, many fans and analysts are now questioning the amount of accountability being held for Doug Whaley and Rex Ryan's actions.

It was initially stated straight out of the draft, from medical crews, Whaley, Ryan, and even Lawson himself that the right shoulder of Lawson was "100% ready to go," which of course, is not the case. Lawson's shoulder issues were known months going into the draft. Adam Schefter, ESPN analyst tweeted during the draft that several teams even went as far as to take Lawson off of their draft board. That didn't stop the bold minds of Ryan and Whaley though, as they believed Lawson was an excellent talent, despite the reports of his injuries. It's speculated that Rex and Whaley were well aware of the injury, but thought the surgery could be put off until next offseason. It could not, and thus, fans seem to be very upset with the coach and GM of the Bills.

"If the Bills knew Lawson had injury issues and may miss up to half the season, why did the Bills take the risk on him?"

"Whaley and Rex don't think about the future, only now."

"Whaley and Rex lied to everyone when they said Lawson was okay."

Those are all loose quotes from Bills fans that I've heard since yesterday. Some fans are even calling for Whaley's job. To any fans questioning Whaley and Ryan about this pick, I say; don't. The Buffalo Bills will be just fine. I understand the concern, especially since this seems like a typical Buffalo scenario in the typical 16 year playoff drought, but it's not time to push the panic button yet, and here's why;

•  Most fans knew that Lawson had this nagging shoulder injury that would require attention eventually. 
• Getting this treatment done now will prevent further injury in the future. Let Lawson rest and rehab now, and he will come back full strength and ready to go.
• Buffalo will get his services eventually. The idea of not having an exciting, disruptive first round talent for, at most, half the season does not sound good to me at all. But, if this team can have a decent record when he returns, Lawson can help further the playoff push. 

Whaley and Rex are not the ones to blame here. Lawson was definitely a first round talent, and despite this injury, he will hopefully be a force when fully healed, like he's expected to be. Lawson was one of the best defensively ranked players in the draft. He is very versatile, and can tackle, sack the QB and even play a bit of coverage.  They took a gamble, yes, but I don't think this pick is a bad one at all. I think he will prove that to all of us in his return. What do you guys think? Thanks for reading, and as always, let's go Buffalo!

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Buffalo Bills Complete Draft Review

The Buffalo Bills draft concluded last Saturday, and in the eyes of the front office and many fans, the Bills had an excellent draft. The Bills went heavy on defense, spending their first 3 picks on the front 7, and 4 out of 7 picks on defense in total. Doug Whaley and Rex Ryan both believe they had a couple steals. In addition, they also are planning to start 2 of Buffalo's picks this season. Let's look at who they picked up.

DE/OLB: Shaq Lawson (Round 1, Pick 19)

Buffalo decided to beef up the d-line with their first pick of the draft. Standing at 6'4", weighing 260 lbs, Lawson is a big man who can get to the QB. The Clemson product will be a huge addition to the Bills defense, as he brings versatility as a lineman, who can also play stand-up LB. He will be a day one starter across the line from Jerry Hughes, as stated both by Doug Whaley and Rex Ryan. Lawson posted 167 tackles and 20 sacks in his career with Clemson. The Bills certainly found a gem in the 1st round, who will look to take over the hole left by Mario Williams departure.

LB: Reggie Ragland (Round 2, Pick 41)

In the 2nd round, the Bills went front-7 again, this time taking LB Reggie Ragland, out of Alabama. He's also a large man, measuring 6'2" and weighing 258 lbs. He can do anything you need a LB to do, including coverage, rushing the passer, and stopping the run. In college, he racked up 222 tackles and 10 passes defensed. Whaley also said he will start. The Alabama product will line up in the weak-side linebacker spot next to Preston Brown, the third year LB. Although Reggie Ragland had some questions regarding injuries, Whaley felt it was safe to take Ragland in the 2nd round, and if all goes well, it will pay off. Reggie Ragland is an excellent athlete who will bring a lot of versatility to the table.

DT: Adolphus Washington (Round 3, Pick 80)

Buffalo continued to supply the defensive stash, this time picking DT Adolphus Washington in the 3rd round. He is 6'4", and 290 lbs. In his college career with Ohio State, he had 142 tackles and 13.5 sacks. A versatile tackle who can play the five and three technique, Washington will look to see some starting reps in Rex's "5-2 defensive front," rotating in with Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus. Whaley and Rex have a lot of confidence in this pick, who can hopefully step in right away and make an impact, and maybe even take over for Kyle Williams when he decides to retire.

QB: Cardale Jones (Round 4, Pick 139)

With Tyrod Taylor's future in Buffalo still a question mark at this point in time, the Bills elected to go QB in the 4th round of this year's draft. Cardale Jones will look to develop as the 3rd QB on the Bills roster, behind EJ Manuel and of course, Taylor. The QB out of Ohio State has all the physical attributes to be a great QB in the NFL, standing at 6'5" and weighing 249 lbs. Add in a powerful arm, and he has all the tools to be a stud. He has some issues though, such as accuracy, footwork, and consistency. Jones can work through all of those issues though, and Whaley has stated that Jones' floor is a "very solid backup." Jones may potentially challenge EJ for the backup job as training camp gets underway, but he may be several years away from being a starter in the NFL.

RB: Jonathan Williams (Round 5, Pick 156)

The Buffalo Bills had a great steal of Karlos Williams in last year's draft, so why not try that again? That may have been the motive behind this 5th round pick, as Buffalo's backfield was battered for most of the year, with all the RB's on the roster missing games. Williams also had 22 total touchdowns and 2,321 yards in his college career. Drafted as mainly a special teams acquisition, the 6'0", 223 lb Arkansas RB will look to challenge for some touches as well, in a crowded Bills backfield.

WR: Kolby Listenbee (Round 6, Pick 192)

This speedy receiver was a safe gamble for the Bills, but if it pays off, he will be an excellent acquisition. Listenbee is 6' tall, 197 lbs, and has stated he believes that he's "probably the fastest player in the NFL." He also stated though that speed isn't everything, and that he needs to improve his route running. Rex and company are excited about the TCU product's speed though, and if he can improve his route running, look out.

CB: Kevon Seymour (Round 6, Pick 218)

The Bills spent their last draft pick on a corner late in the 6th round. Seymour is quick, posting a 4.39 40-yard dash time at the pre-draft workouts. The 6', 170 lb CB will look to make his biggest contributions on special teams as a gunner, along with a potential as a punt/kick returner.


Overall, the Buffalo Bills had a solid 2016 draft. The draft has made this team instantly better on the defensive side of the ball, as Lawson, Ragland, and Washington all will look to contribute from day one. There is a lot to be excited about after this draft, as Rex is looking to greatly improve the defense from its 19th overall rank last season. Buffalo will see more from these rookies as mini-camp begins next week. Thanks for reading, and as always, let's go Buffalo!

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